LIVING LIFE SERIES 1

A BO TIEN (武天) MISSION INITIATIVE LAUNCHED ON 28TH SEPT 2010 BY INNER TRUTH NETIZEN 2. THE MISSION IS TO SHOW THE WAY TO HOPE, INNER PEACE AND ULTIMATELY SALVATION FOR ALL BEINGS. THE PURPOSE IS TO SAVE SOULS. IT IS WAY BEYOND NORMAL GOOD WORK LIKE CHARITY AND WELFARE ACTIVITIES. NO ONE SHALL BE SAVED BY GOOD WORKS ALONE BUT BY MORE THAN GOOD WORK. THERE IS NEED TO BE IMBUED WITH THE BASIC DOCTRINE COMMON TO AND BEHIND ALL RELIGIONS AND SECTS. LIVE IN DOCTRINE. DOCTRINE IN LIFE IS PARAMOUNT.

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The Living Life Series is dedicated to Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨). The doctrine is in His image. The image is the doctrine. He who sees, understands and effects the doctrine sees and knows Him. He who does not see, know and effect the doctrine sees not and knows not the saint even if the saint or His image is beside him. The far may be near and the near may be far. Let the doctrine and the saint be part of our life. The lord saint in your life can be any heavenly saint of any religion, sect or school. The doctrine of truth is behind all and this is the Inner Truth that leads all (regardless of their religious affiliation or even if none) to inner peace and heaven on earth here and now and not just in the after life. The ideal worship and devotion is to know and effect the doctrine of God and the saints. The best gospel is the gospel of life. We learn from our life and the lives of others. The true temple is the world we live in. The sky is the roof of the temple and religions and sects are the pillars of the temple. All under Heaven are in the temple. Needless to say that all the saints we know are in this temple. Ji Gong Posat too is no exception. The whole wide world and web is the temple and must be regarded as a sacred place --- a temple for living and learning. It is more important that everyone that counts plays a role in this universal temple if due focus is to be given to the Mission of Heaven. Men must not be distracted by the agenda of men and end up serving the mission of man. That would be a far cry from the Mission of Heaven. We worship God and saints, not man however good that man may be. There should be no hero worshiping or idolizing of man whether he is a charismatic pastor, priest, monk, medium or lay leader. We don't even idol worship the image of any saint but reflect on what the image stands for. - the doctrine in the image. Omitofo 阿弥陀佛!.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Mutterings from old China.

No 804 of Living Life Series 1

An ancient Chinese from Old China who is now born in a heavenly abode decided to visit Earth to learn how men have been faring compared to old times.

He notices that there is more emphasis on meritocracy than respect for the elders in society so much so that the young with brains call the tune and the elders are sometimes denigrated as unwise and lacking in correctness.

The irony he noted is that with the lack of pervasive Confucian style respect for elders, the young ignore the call of the ancestors for more children. With that the population ages and there are more oldies and ever before.

It may seem good that the leadership of society passes on to the young at every level. Even in the family, the elders would have to listen and serve the young. They even feared being told off by the young for the young seems to know how to argue their way out.

If they could not toe the line of the young and capable, they will be left aside or if the young have the resources, they will with some luck be able to be in a nursing home. That it seems is the latest version of some semblance of respect for elders.

The call instead is not of respecting elders as embodied in the universal precepts mentioned by Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) but instead there is the unspoken call to respect the young in the name of meritocracy. The call is for the young and capable to lead at every opportunity and corner of society.

With that the man from heaven shakes his head. What have become of humanity? Why have men decided to forgo seniority based society in favor of meritocracy?

In old China, he muses that during the reign of emperors there was seniority based Confucian entrenched respect for elders, never mind if the parents and elders are not as smart or no longer smart and capable due to ageing.

Ironically, at the same time. in the good old days, he muses there too was meritocracy in the form of the many provincial and imperial examinations to hand pick the meritocratic and brainy in society.

Even then such a gadget may end up picking the old and not just the young. Isn't that revealing?

The man from old China shakes his head in disbelief. Has modern society overplayed the key of meritocracy and not have it in the right context of a society where respect for the old still hold sway?

Respect for elders is the cornerstone of society eschewed by the generations on Earth as in Heaven. In old days, trainers of new officials in Heaven and on Earth are portrayed as wise old men and ladies.

Even the Buddha in life as man centuries ago would tend to the sick and elderly though he was already the Buddha. He would respect them much more than they would respect him.

If only humanity can just take a leaf from the Buddha, today's meritocracy would not risk being effected in the wrong context but in the context of an ever Confucian style society where respect for elders and parents must still hold sway.

Then elders who had been leaders of society when young would still hold the limelight and be beacons for the young to emulate and not for the young to forget and put aside. Any religion would go along this elder-based and seniority-based culture.

But with young taking the helm and eager to take control, they may throw this to the wind and even say that God is a jealous God and that all must respect and worship God alone.

The other elders, even if they are pure ones and saints, matter not. The pseudo prophets in this few young upstarts insist that the presence of these saints is irking the good feeling of God. They rob God of the attention that he wants.

This is of course far from the truth and the man from Old China knows that. God is not like that but men may be. Won't that be wronging God and be blasphemy of sorts? He is after all, the Pure August Jade Emperor - 玉皇上帝

Well incidentally who can this old man in this narrative be? Why is he muttering all his views stated above. Could he be Confucius 孔夫子 ?

The problems of men are many and plentiful. This the good lord Lord Bo Tien (武天菩萨) says. What the old man from old China mutters is consistent with what the good lord says.

The old man may not be Confucius but may be any wise man of old. He could be Merlin as well. Nonetheless his views can well be mutterings from old China.

Lest you forget

Do not make the mistake of idolizing any man who tells you about the Word. He is in the same boat as you even if religion refers to him as a religious leader. Mere mention of a religious leader is as good as encouraging idolising of that man. Why must there be hierarchy in religion? Hierarchy is conventional but may end up as liability rather than a necessity or asset. There should be no caste or hierarchy system in religion. No one is to be considered above another in religion. A religious leader or follower is a servant to serve you and not a leader to be idolised. Do not put him on the pedestal and make a monster out of him.

MAY ALL BE WELL AND HAPPY

May all be well and happy. May they have peace. May our departed friends and kins be well, happy and have divine peace. The main writer wishes the best for all for those near and far. Our kins may be far when they had passed on to better lives but they are near though far. He remembers and wishes his parents Mr Siow Soo Koh and Mdm Tay Hung Siang, his uncles and aunties like Mr Tay Koon Huay, his cousins like Mr Tay Chong Sim and his friends like Mr Philip Png well and have abundance of life. May they be rich in spirit for without such ancestors, there will be no posterity - no us and no you and me. They have blessed us and we must blessed them in return forever and ever.